Home » Asbury hires former lead administrator for SEC men’s basketball

Asbury hires former lead administrator for SEC men’s basketball

Mark-WhitworthWILMORE, Ky. (March 29, 2018) — Asbury University has announced it has hired former Southeastern Conference Associate Commissioner for Men’s Basketball Mark Whitworth as the school’s new vice president of intercollegiate athletics.

Whitworth, a 1984 Asbury graduate and former member of the university’s board of trustees, worked with the SEC for 25 years and was an integral part of the league’s multimedia rights agreements before becoming chief operating officer at Knight Eady (a national sports marketing and event management firm) in 2016.

“While in the national spotlight, Mark Whitworth has continually exemplified the same positive integration of faith, learning and athletics that Asbury is known for,” said Asbury President Sandra Gray. “Mark understands the unique mission and atmosphere surrounding Asbury and its athletics department.”

While Asbury finds success on the field – with multiple conference championships, national tournament appearances and All-American selections in the past few years alone – the private, Christian university’s slogan to “Start here. Impact the World” is ever-present with teams serving in the local community and traveling on international mission trips each year.

In the classroom, nearly 100 percent of Asbury’s 17 intercollegiate athletic teams finished the most-recent fall semester with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. The university is also annually honored as an NAIA Champions of Character school – a national designation for schools that best represent the characteristics of respect, integrity, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership.

“Mark’s background of excellence as a manager and mentor is perfect for an athletics department centered on the mission of equipping students for a lifetime of learning, leadership and service,” said Asbury basketball coach Will Shouse. “His experience and goals are in perfect alignment with how we have always viewed student-athletes and the athletic programs at Asbury.”

Asbury offers varsity athletic teams (all offering scholarships) for baseball, softball, women’s volleyball, plus men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis and lacrosse. There are also six JV programs (in men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and volleyball) plus cheerleading and tumbling.

Whitworth will begin his new role at Asbury on April 1.